5 Tips for Successful Grandparenting

Excerpt : Building on the cherished connection between grandparents and grandchildren is a life-long privilege. As grandchildren grow and mature the role grandparents play in the lives of their grandchildren

Building on the cherished connection between grandparents and grandchildren is a life-long privilege. As grandchildren grow and mature the role grandparents play in the lives of their grandchildren changes but the principals remain true at any age.

1. Boundaries are necessary for control and safety.
All children need and must learn to respect boundaries. Being clear about expectations before an activity begins frees you and the child to enjoy the event and ensures the safety of everyone involved. If you observe the boundaries are being violated,

“ Black Belt Parenting-The Art of Raising your Child for Success" Also see : Parenting Guide To Crohn's Disease In Children Any type of chronic disorder may be especially difficult for a child to cope with. Likewise, being a parent to such a child may leave you feeling helpless and cheated. Unfortunately, the presence of Crohn's Disease will not be any easier to bear...read more The 5 B's of Effective Parenting I hear the questions again and again: “How do I get my child to … …quit whining?” …do their homework?” …clean their room?” …do the dishes?” And I hear all kinds of answers for each situation. Here is my proposal, rather than handle each...read more

don’t be afraid to remind your grandchildren again. Restate the rules as many times as necessary. Writing the rules and posting them or bringing them along is a good idea. If a rule is violated during the activity, ask the child to repeat or read the rules again.

2.Gift giving is not a requirement of grandparenting.
Establish a practice with your first grandchild and stick with it; what you do for one doesn’t necessarily have to be done for all. Financial and family situations change as our children grow. If a family experiences loss of a job or

Also see : Parenting After Divorce Once you have finished gathering all your divorce information, sought all the divorce advice that was out there, found divorce help by hiring an attorney and financial planner… after you have learned everything there is to know about how to get a...read more Positive Parenting and Latex Allergies Learning to Live Positively with a Latex Allergy Your child has a latex allergy: Perhaps a mild allergy; perhaps a life-threatening one. Either way, you now have to help your child live with it. Of course, to do so, you need to be able...read more

divorce, don’t be afraid to make temporary changes. Gifts are gifts especially when they are unexpected. Surprise gifts are the best. Gifts don’t have to cost a lot. Research supports the fact that “time together” is the best gift we can give. Travel provides time for the grandparent and grandchildren to discover and appreciate each other’s gifts.

3. All rules must be consistent with parents’ wishes.
Anything you do with and for your grandchild needs to be discussed first with the parents. After all, parents make the rules and effective grandparents

Also see : Focus on the Family: Can Working Mothers Have Their Cake and Eat it Too Without Parenting Burnout? Not long ago “bringing home the bacon” was the father’s role but now working mothers are “bringing home the bacon” too. Today, 50% of the mothers in our country (with children living at home) are working full time and most experience the stress...read more Fraternal Twin Parenting Concerns Identity and Your Fraternal Twin For the most part, throughout this article I refer to a fraternal twin in the singular rather than the plural "twins." This is to emphasize the individuality of each twin. Too often twins are defined only by their...read more

support them.

Don’t keep secrets from the parents and don’t ask the grandchildren to keep secrets from their parents. Many grandparents believe that some information should not be shared with the parents, but this only undermines the relationships.

4. There is no substitute for planning.
Proper planning ensures that the activity will be discussed with the parents. No matter what the age or sex of your grandchild, planning makes any activity more successful. This is not to say you can’t be spontaneous, but it’s often better and safer to have a

Also see : Do You Know Your Parenting Style? Want to be a better parent? Knowing what your current parenting style is will help you identify your needed areas for improvement. Promoting the self-discipline and self-esteem of the children in your family often requires an emotional juggling...read more Parenting Univeristy: Potty Training 101 When your child shows signs of potty training readiness, it's time to purchase some essential potty training items. There are many new products which can help to make potty training quick and easy for both you and your child. We have researched...read more

plan.

Discuss with the child what he or she would like to do. Give careful thought to the age appropriateness of the activities before you begin. Giving children choices increases their self-confidence and is great training for the future.

5. Grandchildren and grandparents want to have fun!
There is no substitute for good old-fashioned belly laughs. It's good for you, your grandchild and your relationship. During the activity itself, share with your grandchildren how excited you are about being with them.
Children enjoy getting away from

Also see : Guilt Free Parenting I don’t know about you, but I do guilt very well. At times, it seems like I can feel guilty for almost anything. Also, as a parent I mess up routinely. I can be short with my temper and my words are not always pleasant. Also, there seems to be a new...read more Parenting Confidence - Who Needs It? It used to strike me as odd - but really, it makes perfect sense. If you are a regular flier, or have flown recently, you'll know what I mean. The 'plane is taxiing along for take off and the cabin crew are going through the...read more

their parents for short periods of time and grandparents enjoy being part of a very important relationship. Parents enjoy their break too.

About the Author

Don Schmitz is a popular speaker and writer on parenting and grandparenting. He is the author of The New Face of Grandparenting …Why Parents Need Their Own Parents and founder of Grandkidsandme, which includes: Grandparent Camps and Grandkid Days. Don holds graduate degrees in Education, Administration, Human Development and father to three sons and seven grandchildren. Contact Don@grandkidsandme.com.

Revolutionary 'Mom Has Fun' Parenting Method For Raising Happy Well-Behaved Kids!

More Parenting Articles

Practical Parenting Advice | sitemap
copyright www.parentingadvices.com 2006
Warning: include() [function.include]: URL file-access is disabled in the server configuration in /home/parentin/public_html/php/footer.php on line 19

Warning: include(http://www.ultrasonicspabath.com/adsenselogger.inc) [function.include]: failed to open stream: no suitable wrapper could be found in /home/parentin/public_html/php/footer.php on line 19

Warning: include() [function.include]: Failed opening 'http://www.ultrasonicspabath.com/adsenselogger.inc' for inclusion (include_path='.:/usr/lib/php:/usr/local/lib/php') in /home/parentin/public_html/php/footer.php on line 19